Panko Crusted Salmon is one of our favorite ways to add texture and flavor to rich and buttery salmon. Plus, it only takes around 30 minutes to get it on the dinner table, making it a perfect weeknight meal that the whole family will love.
The Best Panko Crusted Salmon
Making salmon panko crust is super simple and delivers on both flavor and texture every single time. Rich flavors of dijon mustard, garlic, onion, and flaky panko breadcrumbs will transform your everyday piece of salmon into a crunchy and flavorful masterpiece. Serve it along side our roasted broccolini and instant pot wild rice to make it a complete meal.
Looking for More Salmon Recipes?
If you love them as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Cedar Plank Salmon!
What You Will Need
- panko breadcrumbs – Made from crustless white bread that is turned into flakes and then dried, producing the crunchiest and flakiest coating.
- butter – Just a bit to help all of the seasoning flavors meld with the panko.
- kosher salt & ground black pepper – A staple to make all the other flavors shine their brightest.
- fresh parsley – A fresh and clean tasting herb with notes of pepper.
- garlic – Equal parts earthy, pungent, and peppery.
- dijon mustard – Tangy, sharp, and flavorful.
- garlic powder and onion powder – Staples for any savory dish.
- salmon fillets – Try to select one-inch fillets for even cooking.
How To Make Panko Crusted Salmon
Start by mixing the panko, butter, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic, dijon mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Use a fork to break apart the butter and combine all of the ingredients together, creating a consistent looking mixture.
Panko vs. Breadcrumbs
Panko is made from crustless, white bread, which is then turned into flakes and dried, giving it a lighter and crunchier texture while regular homemade breadcrumbs could be made up of any type of bread. Both options will give you a nice crunchy texture, but panko has an almost a crackly texture compared to regular breadcrumbs. Finally, panko breadcrumbs absorb less oil than traditional breadcrumbs.
Next, place the salmon fillets in a deep baking dish and add a generous layer of the panko mixture on the top of each piece of salmon.
How Long To Bake Panko Crusted Salmon
Place the uncovered panko-crusted salmon on the middle rack of your oven for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140°F at the thickest part. The cook time varies depending on the thickness of the salmon fillets. For a piece of salmon that’s an inch or more in thickness, cook time will be close to 22-25 minutes. For a thinner piece, 1 inch or thinner, cook time will be closer to 15-17 minutes.
Lastly, remove the salmon from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes. This allows any juices to incorporate back into the fish, leaving you with perfectly cooked and moist salmon.
Best Ways To Serve with Panko Crusted Salmon
We love this dish with our tender roasted broccolini and hearty instant pot wild rice, but don’t let us hold you back on your side dish game. Salmon with panko crust would also taste delicious with our air fryer asparagus, crunchy fennel salad, or our fresh lemon pasta.
Recipe FAQs
- fresh salmon vs. frozen salmon – For best results use fresh salmon. Frozen will work too, but it tends to be a bit more watery, so results may vary.
- dairy-free – Use a plant-based butter to make this recipe dairy-free.
- gluten-free – Use a gluten-free panko breadcrumb.
- how many calories in panko crusted salmon? – A 6 oz serving size is around 290 calories. Scroll down to the bottom of the recipe card for full nutrition information.
- storage – store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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Other Salmon Recipes You Might Like
Panko Crusted Salmon
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
A delicious and flavorful Panko Crusted Salmon recipe that is perfect for any night of the week and made with simple ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup panko
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- (4) 4-6oz salmon fillets* (1 inch thick)
- serving suggestion: add a drizzle of melted butter when serving
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 415 degrees F.
- Panko Mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup panko, 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/3 cup chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder. Use a fork to break apart butter and combine.
- Prep Salmon: Place salmon fillets in a deep baking dish. Add a generous layer of the panko mixture on top of each piece of salmon.
- Bake: Place salmon in oven, middle rack and uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until an internal thermometer reaches 140 degrees F. at the thickest part (**See Notes on cook time).
- Rest + Serve: Remove salmon from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with additional melted butter drizzled over top (optional) along with some roasted broccolini and wild rice.
Notes
- *Salmon: for best results, use fresh salmon – frozen works too, it just tends to be a bit more watery so results my vary.
- **Salmon Cook Time: this varies depending upon how thick your salmon fillets. For a thick piece of salmon and inch or more, cook time will be close to 22-25 minutes. For a thinner piece 1 inch or thinner, cook time will be closer to 15-17 minutes.
- Dairy-Free: use a plant-based butter.
- Gluten-Free: simply use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 291
- Sugar: 0.9 g
- Sodium: 368.3 mg
- Fat: 16.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.6 g
- Protein: 24.2 g
- Cholesterol: 81 mg
Sophie Kerr says
Hi! I just had this last night paired with some sweet potato and a crispy Caesar salad, and it really hit the spot. So easy to make, very quick and you have enough time to prepare side dishes while it’s cooking. I ran out of breadcrumbs (the irony is not lost on me lol) so only had about 1/3 cup, but it still worked very well! Definitely making this again. Thank you!
Ann Marie says
Super simple and absolutely delicious! Family loved it. Will definitely make this again
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Ann Marie!
Ginny says
I am going to make this because I know salmon is so good for you but Im not a fan, my husband loves it. My question is skin on or off? If skin on , does it get crispy? Thank you so much for posting this recipe 🙂
Erin says
Hi Ginny! I left the skin on while I was testing this – the skin doesn’t get too crispy and it should separate from the meat very easily after cooking. That being said, you can just use skinless and that works too!
Amanda Durham says
This was so good. I’ve made it several times. Making it again this week for my son and daughter-in-love. It’s better than anything salmon I’ve had at a restaurant!
Thank you!
Amy Berry says
Delicious! Easy to make and had a nice, crispy coating. We used salmon as directed, but this could definitely work with any kind of fish.